Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-30
THE KISS OF DEATH.
Strange Superstition of
Monterey Mexicans.
|. LEGEND OF SAN JUAN
A Spectre that Appears in Beau-
tiful Guise to Lure Men and
Women to Death.

The Santa Cruz ghost, which is en-
crossing the attention Of the citizens
OF that famous watering place by it's
midnight revelries, recalls a legend Of
san Juan, in the adjoining county,
told the writer many years ago by u
narrator no less cfeditable than n good
old Spanish priest, with whom the
writer happened to be staying on q
few days visit.
One morning after breakfast ex-
pressed a wish to stroll into the an
cient graveyard attached to the old
adobe church of that quaint little
Mexican town. The old padre, with
the kindness and courtesy character
istic OF the simple missionary fathers,
at once acceded and accompanied the
writer, relating as we walked among
the graves the brief history of some
who lay quietly beneath. 'Here,"
he observed, with quiet smile as he
pointed to grave in the middle Of the
cemetery, ''here is grave which the
simple old Mexican families around
here look upon with unusual interest.
if not with actual ave-"
"a murder?v
"No, no! Something much stranger.
have tried to combat the idea, and
while / would be addressing the
people they would say, Isl, 81, Padrc."
fhey would assent to all / said. but
the belief remained and does remain
indelible.
"a spirit" he began, sis said to
have appeared to everyone buried in
that grave, aud to warn the family
whenever any OF them is about to
pass away.
Its appearance, which is generally
made in the following manner, is be-
lieved to be uniformly fatal, being an
omen OF death to those who are 50
unhappy. as to meet with it.
When funeral takes place the
spirit is said to watch the person who
remains last in the graveyard, over
whom it possesses fascinating in
fuence.
''lf the person be q young man, the
spirit takes the shape of q fascinating
female, inspires him with q charmed
passion, and exacts promise that he
will meet her ut the graveyard q
month from that day. This promise
is sealed with kiss that .communi-
Gates a deadly faint to him who
complies.
"The spirit then disappears. No
sooner does the person from whom it
received the promise and the kiss pass
the boundary OF the churchyard than
he remembers the history OF the spcc-
ter. He sinks into despair and insan-
ity and dies. If, ON the contrary, the
specter appears TO a female it assumes
the form of young man OF exceed
ing elegance and beauty.
The padre showed me the grave OF
Il yonng person about Is years OF age,
who was said four months before to
have fallen q victim to it. "Ten .
months ago." the father said, ga man
gave the promise and the fatal kiss,
and consequently looked upon him
self as lost. He took a fever and
died, and was buried on the day ap-
pointed for the meeting, which was
exactly q month after the fatal inter
view. ~
incredible as it may appear, the
friends OF these two persons solemnly
declared to me that the particulars Of
the interview were repeatedly detailed
by the two persons without the slight
est variation. an fst
"rliere are several cases of the
same kind mentioned, but the two
cases alluded to are the only ones that
came within my personal knowledge.
1T appears, however, that the spec
trc does not confine its operations to
the graveyard only. There have been
instances mentioned OF its appearance
at weddings and social parties, where
it has never failed to secure its victims
by dancing them into pleuritic fe-
vers."
On being questioned rs TO what he
might think OF such possible occur
rences, the good father simply smiled
and shook his head Exchange.